The following list will be updated whenever someone recommends a new tiny/light distro that is likely to be a candidate as a foundation for Mint CE. Of course, moderators can also update my post if I go M.I.A. for a while. I just wanted to have the most interesting tiny/small distros inside one post, so they can be reviewed for the foundation of "Mini Mint".

1. Tiny Core LinuxThis one is probably the smallest Linux distribution that has a GUI - v2.4.1 has 10.6MB. I only tried it once but someone who knows his/her way around Linux could find this as an interesting point to spin off.

2. SliTaZ GNU/LinuxVersion 2.0 of this distro is much more complete and polished than Tiny Core, being very well put up together, with enough applications to start with and all in an ISO of only 29MB. exploder already took a look at it but no other word about it.

3. Puppy LinuxCurrently at v4.3 (105MB), Puppy Linux has undergone a massive redesign lately, due to staff changes. The first look is very appealing and the good name Puppy Linux gained over the years could make it a possible candidate for a Mini CE.

Isn't it amazing what people can do when they have the source code! It opens up entire possibilities for everyone. I have TinyCore installed with Opera - I use it when I want to boot my desktop really fast for a quick Internet check and shut it down again quickly. Boots in something like 14 seconds all up.

grml and/or hag aint bad too (hag is bout 350MB too, grml is between 150-200MB).http://grml.org/http://hag-linux.eu.org/both i wouldnt call outstanding newbie/user friendly, though they are not difficult to use.

What is the objective here? To take a micro distro and turn it into Mint? If so I have one question; which Mint tools will you include and how much do THEY weigh? Okay, I have another question...What is your target size? What are your goals? Are you looking for a 50MB distro? If so then I doubt you can do that with even the basic Mint stuff. Are you just looking for sub-600MB small? If so why not try building something from say Arch? Just use a minimal WM on a base install and add the Mint tools. You do know someone is already working on a Mint LXDE version and there is also a Mint Fluxbox version. Choice is good, but this is just getting confusing.

Dont get me wrong, I love DSL. It was the first micro-distro and it is still an awesome distro to run.

But it is probably not mentioned because it is STILL running a 2.4 kernel and I also believe it is not being developed anymore. It has been static for years now.

Likewise, I believe feather my be a dead project, but I am not certain of this. I could be wrong.

Puppy is an awesome choice! I havent used it lately but I know a LOT of people who rave over it.

I do use Arch and it is a stripped install running only Fluxbox and the bare essential apps I need. I would not call it a micro-distro though. You can strip any distro and slack and debian especially are pretty equivalent when used in a bare minimum install instead of the traditional kitchen sink iso.

Arch has the same kernel and modules as any other linux, in fact it is rather cutting edge. The only difference is that since you build it yourself you can make it as small as you like. But you would be hard pressed to get in at under 400MB even running a basic WM.

You can do the same with any distro, I know a guy that has stripped Fedora down to just over 100MB. (would you still consider it Fedora? Hmmm) Debian would be easy to strip, Ubuntu and Fedora are a little more gnomecentric but it is still not hard. Just be aware you will kill the DE before you can build it from the ground up. No biggie if you can work from init3.

The truth is the extremely limited hardware which was the reason for distros like DSL are pretty much history now. You can get a decent P4 from a dumpster anymore, when you can build a 2GB RAM dual core for under $300 there is really little excuse to run JUNK that is over 10 years old.

That is not to say that micro-distros are not attractive to some, but even distros like Puppy, which used to be 50MB too, tend to grow as people demand more capability. Which was my whole point in my first post in this thread.

when you can build a 2GB RAM dual core for under $300 there is really little excuse to run JUNK that is over 10 years old.

...yeah,..this is basically true,..yet there are STILL those of us on the lower end of the spectrum (who would find it extremely difficult to shell out even $300). If it wasn't for my dear (recently retired, former electronic tech) older brother, giving me the b'day gift of my P4,...I would just be SOL stuck with my 3 old P3s. I do use them, though. (Mint7 with LXDE runs nicely btw). Puppy is great, but who knows it's future? Vector is pretty terrific, but I have some little "glitches" with it. Personally, though,..I find that adding a very lightweight desktop (or WM) like LXDE to already fast-performing, low-ram usage distros work pretty well on older computers. (Mint is working good on my P3s this way).

Puppy Linux website has been up and running well since that November hack. I love Puppy Linux, truly amazing to see an OS running completely out of your RAM. Loads into RAM, you can remove the disc or USB while it runs. Resurrect old slow PCs, awesome for rescues, carry it on USB and load into anyone's computer without even touching the HDD and leave witout a trace

MacPup is pretty nice. Has a comfortable feel and nice graphics.I was amazed with the number of applications in such a small package.Felt right at home there and would like to install it as one of my alternate boots when my CD is working again or I manage to boot from my HD with it.I tried it using VirtualBox.Sure is fast ... as are most all of the above mentioned.